Electrical connector assemblies are know to have a male connector which mates to a female connector thereby electrically engaging respective male terminal blades to female terminals. The blade of each male terminal may extend axially into a blind bore defined by an axially projecting shroud of the male connector body. Prior to mating of the electrical connector assembly, a conventional self-aligning blade stabilizer is known to be snap fitted into a blade alignment position within the blind bore of the male connector via a dual locking feature which prevents withdrawal of the stabilizer from the male connector and restricts further insertion of the stabilizer into the blind bore from the blade alignment position and toward a fully seated position. When the stabilizer is in the blade alignment position, the tips of the blades are disposed within respective apertures of the stabilizer and are thus pre-aligned to respective mating female terminals. Moreover, when the stabilizer is in the alignment position the terminal blades are protected from being inadvertently knocked and bent which could cause blade misalignment preventing connector assembly mating or hindering electrical continuity of the mated assembly. Furthermore, the stabilizer prevents entry of debris into the blind bore of the male connector which could obstruct the mating of the electrical connector assembly. During mating of the electrical connector assembly, the stabilizer is pushed out of the blade alignment position and into the seated position as the blades travel through the apertures and into the female terminals of the female connector.
Unfortunately, when the mated electrical connector assembly is un-mated, the stabilizer remains in the seated position and does not automatically return or retract to its original alignment position. Thus, the stabilizer is not reuseable and does not protect the terminal blades of an un-mated electrical connector assembly which was once mated.